Replay Games CEO Denies Anti-Sierra Hijinks

The head of the Leisure Suit Larry studio says he has nothing to do with any "sabotage" of Sierra-related Kickstarter projects.

Back at the end of May, the word went out that Replay Games, which is currently at work on a reboot of the classic Leisure Suit Larry, was unhappy with a Kickstarter project for a game called Sam Suede in Undercover Exposure. It has a very Larry-like vibe, but the real sticking point was its heavy use of Al Lowe - the creator of Leisure Suit Larry, who's now working with Replay on the do-over - on the Kickstarter page. It wasn't entirely illegitimate, as Lowe did work on the game back in 2006, but he was made to look like a principal on the game, in spite of his years-ago departure.

Legal threats soon followed, as they so often do, although Lowe quickly clarified that he wasn't personally involved in any legal action against Sam Suede studio Wisecrack games and actually wished them well with the project. But some days later, things got even uglier thanks to suggestions that Replay Games CEO Paul Trowe was going a little further than just a cease-and-desist order, and was actually trying to surreptitiously stir up trouble for other Sierra-related Kickstarters.

Trowe, however, denies any sort of shenanigans, and furthermore says that as far as the dispute with Wisecrack goes, it's all over and mission accomplished. "My only wishes in this dispute were to protect the Leisure Suit Larry IP and to be transparent and honest in who is taking part in the franchises relevant to LSL," he said. "I have no desire to sue, other than as a last resort."

It turns out that resort wasn't necessary. The Sam Suede Kickstarter page still boasts of Lowe's involvement (and he remains up for grabs at the $10,000 supporter tier) but the extent of his involvement has been clarified and the Leisure Suit Larry screens, box shots and character images that Trowe said "were all over their Kickstarter page" are now gone. "As we have seen, the dispute has been settled in an agreeable manner that did not require us to file a complaint," he added.

As for the allegations that he's been trying to disrupt other projects, Trowe dismissed them as baseless and silly. He's backed a number of other Kickstarters including Sierra-based projects, he said, and actually posted a message encouraging Leisure Suit Larry fans to support the Two Guys From Andromeda Kickstarter a couple of weeks ago.

"I have a number of social accounts all with my photos, likes, and thoughts prominently strewn across them. I have never had a problem voicing my opinion under my own name. With how vocal and transparent I am, I find it somewhat ironic that anyone could ever make that assumption about me," he said. "I'm a straight talker and if you want my opinion you will have it. No pseudonyms, handles, or avatars, just 100 percent Paul Trowe."

And even if Trowe was somehow involved in an anti-Sierra Kickstarter campaign, he's doing a pretty lousy job of it. The Two Guys Spaceventure hit its $500,000 funding goal last week, while Jane Jensen's Pinkerton Road project blew past its $300,000 goal in May.